What is formal resignation?
John Johnson
Updated on April 07, 2026
When you’re resigning from a position, it’s a good idea to send a formal resignation letter as well as to inform your manager in person. A letter provides official notice that you are leaving your job, including your last date of employment.
How do you write a polite letter of resignation?
How do you write a letter of resignation?
- Keep it professional.
- Keep it short and sweet.
- Provide reasons for leaving (optional).
- Remain polite.
- Say thank you to your employer for the role.
- Offer to help in the transition period.
- Avoid personal criticism.
- Finish your resignation letter positively.
Do I need to write a formal resignation letter?
The short answer is that most of the time, no letter of resignation is necessary. Many people do believe that as an employee you need to formally resign from a job by writing a formal resignation letter to your current employer. However, at most companies, there’s no formal requirement that you do so.
What do you need to know about writing a resignation letter?
Here’s information on writing a resignation letter, along with examples and templates to use to write your own letter. What is a Resignation Letter? A resignation letter is a document that notifies your employer that you are leaving your job.
What’s the best way to resign from a job?
Keep it positive. Your resignation is your closing impression when you quit a job, and it’s always a good idea to leave on a positive note—to make your superiors and peers sorry to see you go. Provide a formal letter. A written letter, whether emailed or mailed, is important because it provides closure to your HR file.
Are there any free resignation letter templates to download?
The below sample library was designed by our in-house Resume Genius writing team and HR consultants. Explore and download any of these templates for free and leave your job on a professional note. We decided to include even more free samples due to popular demand. We have built out seven new career-specific templates to help match your needs.
What should be the subject line of a resignation email?
The subject line for a resignation email should be excessively straightforward and as simple as possible. Something like “ [Your Name]’s Resignation” or “Resignation – [Your Name]” can usually do the trick. If you work for a large enterprise or someone else in the company has a name similar to yours, you might want to add a little more detail.
